1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates generally to subsea blowout preventers, and more specifically, but not by way of limitation, to manifolds configured to, for example, provide hydraulic fluid to a hydraulically actuated device of a subsea blowout preventer.
2. Description of Related Art
A blowout preventer is a mechanical device, usually installed redundantly in stacks, used to seal, control, and/or monitor oil and gas wells. Typically, a blowout preventer includes a number of devices, such as, for example, rams, annulars, accumulators, test valves, failsafe valves, kill and/or choke lines and/or valves, riser joints, hydraulic connectors, and/or the like, many of which may be hydraulically actuated.
Current systems for providing hydraulic fluid to such blowout preventer devices may contain single point of failure components that can render one or more blowout preventer devices partially or completely inoperable upon failure of the component.
Such current systems may also require relatively complex, time-intensive, and costly repairs and/or replacements of malfunctioning components, in some cases, necessitating replacement of large assemblies of components, many of which may be otherwise functional. And, in some instances, such repairs and/or replacements may require cessation of well operations.
Current systems for providing hydraulic fluid to such blowout preventer devices may also not be configured to provide hydraulic fluid from redundant pressure sources.
Examples of manifolds are disclosed in U.S. Patents: (1) U.S. Pat. No. 7,216,714; (2) U.S. Pat. No. 6,032,742; (3) U.S. Pat. No. 8,464,797; and (4) U.S. Pat. No. 8,393,399.